People help in many different ways. This page offers just a few suggestions. Whatever you choose to do, thank you for giving so generously of your valuable time.
Status Resolution Support Services Campaign (SRSS)
Community Refugee Support Initiative Campaign (CRSI)
No Deportations to Danger Campaign
From the Edmund Rice Centre … There are 1,500 Afghan men, women and children in the community waiting for a decision from the Department of Home Affairs as to whether they will be granted refugee protection. But the Australian Government is saying it’s safe to send them back. Take action here
“Help us to get Priya, Nades and their two beautiful little girls out of detention and bring them home to Biloela, QLD. On behalf of Biloela – thank you!” Angela Fredericks
Mr Dutton, our town needs this family
Australian town rallies behind Lankans facing deportation
Why the government is determined to deport a Tamil family from Biloela
98,746 Signatures – Petition is delivered to Peter Dutton’s office – 18 May 2018
118,949 Signatures – Petition August 2018
- Sign the online petition to call on Qantas and other airlines not to let Dutton use their aircraft, pilots or crew to force them to danger:
https://www.change.org/p/qantas-fly-these-queensland-born-sisters-home-to-biloela-not-to-danger - Sign the peititon don’t deport Priya, nades and children
https://www.change.org/p/peter-dutton-bring-priya-back-to-biloela - Sign the online petition Don’t deport Huyen – Stop separating families
https://www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/don-t-deport-huyen-stop-separating-families
And there is now a website – Home to Bilboela
Marie Sellstrom, RAR president, with Angela Fredericks in Biloela – August 2018
Petitions and Letters
Points to make:
- We need leadership.
- Australia must take responsibility for the lives of people on Manus & Nauru
- We need you to evacuate the camps and bring people here to safety.
- People in offshore detention are in danger.
- The ongoing uncertainty and chaos are causing fear and harm.
- Our community wants people to be safe from harm.
- People around the country want a bipartisan approach to ending the political games.
- We need leadership and action, not more excuses.
- The lives of people in detention are Australia’s responsibility.
Letters to the editor
Write a Letter or email to the media. Seen an article in the paper or online that makes you angry or upset? Make sure you write, email or put comments in an online article and let them know your thoughts. Again, the more we can have an educated conversation in a public forum, the greater chance we have of raising awareness and bring about change.
This link is a comprehensive list of major media publishers that you have the potential to be published in. It may be useful to pitch an op-ed/Letter to the Editor to a few of these papers
(make sure you send the emails separately!) to increase your chance of being picked up.
Letters to MPs and Senators
One of the best ways to make a difference is to contact your local member or even the two leaders of our major political parties. The more people who write, the more our leaders realise that we do care about the closure and safe rehoming of our refugees and asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru. Letters to Politicians – Tips from Julian Burnside
Contact your Local Member, or go straight to the top. Senators and Members individually decide their preferred web based contact method. To contact your Senator or Member first find their home page using this link to a search tool. Their home page will contain their contact details and best method of contacting them.
Petitions
- Edmund Rice Centre Petition – Stop deporting asylum seekers back to danger
- Another man has died on Manus Island. He’s the third person to die on Manus in a year. – Join the Call for a Senate Inquiry
- Want to start your own petition? Here are some helpful links Making Your Voice Heard, Sample Petition for the House of Reps , Brief Guide to Senate Petitions
- If you want to do something different to a petition, why not write an open letter to your local member of parliament or a politician with whom you wish to make a special point and collect signatures to this letter and post .
Face to Face Advocacy
The “Use Your Voice” kit is a Refugee Advocacy Kit that can be used by people who wish to engage face to face with members of parliament who will stand for election and those people who are candidates for the election.
The First Hike Project
To provide connection to their new country, “The First Hike Project” is taking groups of young refugees on a weekend hiking and camping exploration along the Bibbulmun Track. The Bibbulmun Track is a long distance walk trail in Western Australia. The name comes from the Bibbulmun, or Noongar people, Indigenous Australians from the Perth area.
Op Shop Fashion Parades
Ballarat RAR recently held an OP Shop Fashion Parade – watch it here
Could you organise something similar in your area?
Knowledge is Power
Read up on the latest news and study the most recent reports. The better we can educate ourselves about the issues, facts and latest developments around our refugees and asylum seekers, the better we will be able to have those dinner table conversations that make a real difference. It’s when we speak from the heart, armed with the facts and tell a personal, relateable story that we can usually effect the most change.
Social Media
- Like, Follow and nominate to see us first on our Facebook Page Rural Australians for Refugees
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow RAR on Instagram
- You can also volunteer to help the national social media and website teams. Email